SQA exams get underway

Tuesday (May 2) marks the beginning of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) exams period for tens of thousands of pupils and students across Scotland.

Along with those sitting exams over the next four and a half weeks, candidates who have undertaken National 1, National 2, National 3, National 4, Skills for Work Courses and awards, which are continually assessed throughout the year, will be among the 139,822 pupils and students who will receive their results on Tuesday, August 8.

Those candidates studying National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher courses begin an examination schedule that starts with National 5 and Higher Philosophy at 9am tomorrow. The exam period will run through to Friday, June 2, concluding with question papers for students studying Gàidhlig, German, and Politics.

More than half a million individual exams will be sat by over 127,000 candidates in 470 schools and colleges across the country, which are marked by SQA.

This is the second year the full suite of National Qualifications developed to support Curriculum for Excellence will have been available to pupils throughout the country.

At all levels where exams form part of the qualification, students’ final grade will also reflect the combination of coursework, projects, and results from internal assessments conducted through the academic year.

Dr Janet Brown, SQA Chief Executive and Scotland’s Chief Examining Officer, said: “I’d like to wish everyone sitting examinations and taking qualifications at schools and colleges the best of luck between now and the end of the term. After months of hard work and hours of study, many thousands of young people throughout Scotland are preparing to complete their qualifications and take the next step in their education or into work.”

Each year SQA’s in-house team of assessment experts is supported by some 15,000 ‘appointees’ who help to set, invigilate, and mark more than one million exam scripts, and quality assure the internal assessments.

Dr Brown added: “We very much value and rely on the expertise of our appointees and nominees – teachers and lecturers who bring with them a wealth of experience from the classroom. I want to thank them, and SQA’s own hard-working staff, for their continued support and commitment to maintaining the high standards of Scottish qualifications.”

“At all levels, our qualifications provide candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and understanding they’ve acquired and prepare them for further study, employment or training. Our qualifications are robust, relevant, and designed to equip young people with a wide range of skills.”

Candidates who have signed up and activated their personal MySQA accounts are reminded they can choose to receive their results by text and/or email from 8am on Tuesday, August 8.

To register, candidates should log onto www.mysqa.info with their Scottish Candidate Number by 5pm on Tuesday, July 18, and activate their account by 5pm on Wednesday, July 19. This year, over 47,000 candidates have already registered for the service. In addition to electronic delivery, all candidates will continue to receive their results by post on Tuesday, August 8.

Trending

A7 to be closed overnight south of Selkirk for roadworks

Speed limit could be cut on A7 north of Hawick town centre

£41m plans for flood defences in Hawick spark almost 50 objections

Wind farm pledges £1.2m

Weeds getting out of hand in Hawick and Newcastleton, claim councillors